This is part three of three posts showing just a small sampling of what people have said over the years about Frank, Frank’s work, performances, writings, music, etc.
“I was watching a John Cale doco the other night, and as you can imagine, there were scenes from the 60s with the Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol interacting. I suddenly thought that Frank is a lot like Andy–sort of a magnet for and an enabler of creative artists…boogie on”
—Dr. Gruve
“I impulsively told my friend of my adventure with Frank Moore and how it brought me to many levels of consciousnesses. It was a wonderful road that Thomas Hana sent me on. My work with you … shaped my life. Next week I will celebrate 66 years of my human life on this planet. If I had not met you I probably would not have lived to collect social security. My life became enriched with happiness and content.”
—Stavros
“At a certain level you are an ad man! You create a series of distractions to allow for the bigger message to be absorbed. From you ‘THE Amazing Sex God’ I get the sizzle, the steak and a whole lot more.”
—Paul Escriva
“…you’re inspiring people to be not just artistic, but more human! Bravo, kind sir.”
—Jake McGee, Kotori Magazine
Leemus commented on your video “Eroplay – April 24, 1985”, 5/2/12:
“You are untouchable Frank! You have no real peers of which to speak. Keep up the good work!”
“Some performance work is easily categorized, not Frank Moore’s whose performances challenge all established performance criteria.”
—Audrey Rubinstein
(Frank Moore is the) venerable performance-art guerilla (and, dig it, presidential candidate)
—The L.A. Weekly
“It’s experimental performance art at its most experimental.”
—San Francisco Bay Guardian
Frank Moore … “the taboo-shattering performance artist”
—S.F Weekly
“In the 90’s (Frank Moore) had come under fire from the ultra conservative Senator Jesse Helms who regarded his art obscene. Considered obscene ‘art that you create in people the desire to go out and play with other people, to enjoy life.’ As usual, obscene is only our ignoring the revolutionary impact of this great man.”
—Ilaria Farulli, Alfredo Meschi, authors of Italian book, “Love Laid Bare”
“Frank Moore is one of my biggest influences. He used to say that my handicap was perfection. That my seemingly perfectness was an inhibitor to building community.”
—John the Baker, musician & baker
“In my book Weapon:Mouth…Frank gets a whole page to himself..he made a difference!”
—Stoney Burke, political satirist
“Moore pushed the envelope. He colored outside the lines. He knew no boundaries. He reached for the stars and shot the moon. Our daily lexicon doesn’t serve well when trying to describe what Moore was and did.”
—Tom Dalzell, Quirky Berkeley
“… a part of what Frank was about was about breaking the forms, breaking the behavioral pattern forms that you could call taboos, like you called them taboos. To allow yourself to create a new form that’s perhaps more open, more intimate, more aware, more conscious than the old forms. That’s one of the ways that I interpreted some of Frank’s sayings and teachings and work.”
—Russell Shuttleworth, anthropologist from How to Handle an Anthropologist
“Frank had a tendency to bust your balls.”
—Mik Hamilton, Frank’s chiropractor
“If you’re a person doing anything creative, expose yourself to the philosophies of Frank Moore. They will help you re-evaluate the way you approach your art.”
—Vinnie Spit, musician
“I mention LUVeR to people that I work with at KPFA and elsewhere and I get stuff back like, “Oh that pornography site!” … I don’t think that way. I see what Frank is doing as being actually very political, but people don’t understand that. People don’t make the connections that Frank makes. Frank sees the bigger picture. What Frank is doing is pushing the envelope.”
“I sees Frank’s main thing as being ‘Don’t let life get you down! There is nothing you can’t do.’”
—Gerald Smith, political activist
“(The Combine Plot is) one of my favorite pieces by Frank. It was one of the first things I read when we first got interactive… and it just spoke strongly to me about the state of things… then.. putting into the perspective of NOW is really insane and intense though.”
—Lob, musician
“(I) really had a blast (on The Shaman’s Den)…, and Frank’s piece Cultural Subversion said everything that (I) was trying to say. Frank is a genius”
—John Sinclair, 60s Cultural Figure
“I know Frank and Linda! They are just the greatest! They are the hippest people on the planet! Linda and Frank have always challenged me … I’ve known them for years …they have always challenged me to be more free. I remembered talking to Frank for the first time in the late 70s. Just seeing them walking down the street made me happy.”
—Annie Mac, Berkeley resident
“I really enjoyed the show. You are very insightful and a powerful person. You bring out the best in all people. Most people have no idea that your knowledge and ability to express your ideas are what they had in mind and could not verbalize or communicate like you Frank!! Thanks.”
—Carl Bryant, Labor Activist
“Thanks to you for inviting me to do your show. It was one of the funnest and best things I’ve ever done. You said it best-Pure Fun!”
—Pete Holly, musician
“We had an amazing and unique experience performing and recording a private show for the folks at Luver.com. Frank Moore (known for running for President and for his radical performance art and music) is a witty interviewer, who has a great bite to his questions that just makes you giggle. I loved the experience – and performing in his super colorful Bezerkeley home for him, Linda and Mikee was just one of those nights you can’t forget. They are each very creative and kind-hearted, and put a lot of time and effort into interviewing, filming and broadcasting band shows. It was such a unique and amazing experience that we will never forget! Frank’s words to introduce the show made my hair stand up – quite poetic and thoughtful. ‘One of my favorite words is liminal, which is the state in between two states, combining the two states like dawn or twilight. When you just wake up from a dream. This band focuses on the space in between the notes which is silent, but they are not wimpy new agers. They are just The Simple Things.’”
—The Simple Things band
“Wanted to let you know that we really dug hanging with you guys that evening. It was one of the more memorable and unique aspects to any tour we’ve done.“
—Megan, The Family Curse band
“The facts of Frank’s extensive body of work is pretty fucking amazing really, even if performance art isn’t your thing, which dawned on me as the afternoon progressed. I was in the living room of someone who was the real deal in the bravery/edge-riding/originality department.”
—Deborah Crooks, musician, after guesting on the Shaman’s Den
“Talking with you was one of the most surprising, thought-provoking, inspirational experiences I’ve ever had. I feel like you’ve updated and expanded my definitions of art, conversation, intelligence, and even how I interpret the concept of ‘a person’.“
—Capital (the guitarist with the pear-pattern boxer shorts)
From Carl Bryant’s Shaman’s Den 12/8/02
Frank said “I’m not Letterman or Leno”.
Carl replied, “But you’re just as much fun”.
“Frank’s whole Vimeo archive is so epic.”
—Sean Christopher on Facebook
“In my opinion the vids from Frank are about humanity. It takes a kind heart to enter in these vids. Respect.”
—Kees Spruit on Vimeo
“I agree Kees, I see humanity and beauty in Frank’s videos that I find refreshing and shows a really great part of human nature.”
—P.K. on Vimeo
“I have really enjoyed watching these videos that document Frank’s work and his incredible ability to draw people out, shed their fears, and connect them to each other in such a profound way.”
—John Carpenter, on Vimeo
“I really found a home with EROART and any real success my videos achieve is all because of you. Thanks again.”
—Sam Peebles, Magical Thing
“The EROART manifesto from 1984 just nails it. I’m so glad to have read it.”
—Isabela Fawn, video maker and Eroart member
“I learned from performing with Frank the freedom not to fear making mistakes by playing “wrong” notes that it was OK to leave silence for short periods of time and how to allow space for the other musicians, to play fearlessly. Although I had the leaning already Frank cemented this.”
—Tomek von Schachtmayer, musician
“This album is dedicated to the great revolutionary artist and spiritual warrior Frank Moore. To whom I owe too much to put into words. Peace my brother.”
—Rourke Smith, Waveformalpha “Flucht der Planet der Sklaven”
Interview with the man behind decades of brilliant art.
Frank Moore is Art, plain and simple. From his passionate musical performances to his highly erotic live performance pieces, to his oil paintings and digital artwork and the volumes of movies he’s written, directed, and acted in, books he’s published, lectures he’s given, television and radio shows he’s hosted…his profound insight, purity and wit set a high bar for artists of any kind.
Moore’s creative forces are so powerful, his body is spastic like he has cerebral palsy. As everyone knows that women can’t resist spastic men in wheelchairs, Moore can often be found surrounded by beautiful naked women, usually with one straddling him in his chair.
But then you look closer, and see the humanity in this connection, this deep form of communication way beyond mere words and vocal patterns. At 65, he continues to perform live near his home in Berkeley, CA, with his partners Linda Mac and Michael LaBash.
He calls himself a voyeur and a shaman; he writes like a modern-day Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, but with a sense of humor and more charisma. His impact can be seen across the globe…yet he still comes off as a funny, humble guy, happy to be alive, still excited about creating art after all these years.
In his new book (10 years in the making) – Art of a Shaman – he explores performance and art in terms of how they can be a magical way to effect change in the world.
Talking with him, it’s easy to forget that he holds two master’s degrees, one in psychology, and the other in performance/video. He masks his brilliance by slowing down to our level, even if for only the time it takes him to know you’ve caught up.
—Jake McGee, Kotori Magazine, 04/04/2011
“(Andrew) Goldfarb recalls breaking his foot eight hours before a performance with Frank Moore.
“I was going to cancel,” says Goldfarb, “but I thought, ‘I’m opening for Frank Moore, I can’t cancel.’ Frank has invented a new language for [public performance]. Don‘t always understand what he‘s up to, but he causes me to examine my notions of sexism, sex, monogamy, and the animal/psychological duality of modern living. He‘s an amazing inspiration for anyone seeking freedom of expression without any physical or mental boundaries.”
—from: S.F Weekly, More is Moore by Silke Tudor
Paul Krassner at end of “Conversation between Two Muckrakers” 8/30/94:
Frank: You always have inspired me.
Paul: Well, I’ll tell you Frank, it’s a two-way street ’cause you inspire me. So, let’s continue to inspire each other.
Frank: How?
Paul: How? Because you work hard … and you say what you mean … and you communicate. It’s difficult to communicate and you do it. And that’s the most important thing … that’s what life is about is communication. And I respect it a lot. So, what else is there to do in life but communicate. You know, and you do it with passion and honesty. So that’s inspiring.
“I found the tapes amazing…. I was surprised and deeply impressed by the gentleness and sense of community that I got watching you and your group perform. We live in a world where there is so much hatred and in that hatred is such a fear and loathing of bodies and human interaction. But in your tapes I saw people interact in such a way that hatred was overcome and was replaced by comfort, kindness and understanding.
“(In Chero Collage) the audience is led in, sat down, some get a massage by naked, painted members of your group. Then you’re brought in and lain across a member of the audience and then carried on stage. It seemed so simple yet I felt you were addressing many complex issues surrounding our relationship to our own, and others, bodies. We wear clothes all the time continually denying that we and those around us have bodies under the clothes. Your tapes have made me think a great deal about how sexualized, regulated and forbidden bodies have become. I was continually encouraged by the fact that in each of your videos the people on stage or around stage seemed to really enjoy what they were doing….
“(In The Outrageous Horror Show) there are certain moments that have an absurd beauty that I am unable to describe…. What I found in your work was a desexualization of the body that challenged taboos surrounding the body. When this rigid sexualization is removed, the sensual and erotic joy of touching, and exploring reacquaints the viewer (and participants) with the personal strength that can be gained through this reacknowledgement of bodies and the selves that reside inside those bodies.
“I found your work to be both challenging and inspirational….”
—Marnie Parrell, Pleasure Dome, Toronto
Re: The Drama Review “Eroplay” 1989
“I have finally read the Drama Review piece and I love it. It is one of the profoundest pieces of writing on performance or theatre or just plain living that I have read ever. Period. Something to read and think about over and over again. I am so tired of the new of the fast of the whats next–they are killing our souls. I can’t call what you have written an essay but a love song to society–makes total sense to me on the deepest most un-speakable levels. How you deal with the unconscious working side by side the conscious –as you say like two films going on at once. If you never write another thing, Frank, it won’t matter because this piece is luminous. And believe me I have read so many ‘manifestos, essays, critiques, artist statements’ ad nauseum over the years.
“Its a beautiful generous manifesto and I look forward to reading more–it also has this beautiful slow pace as if forcing the mind of the reader to change pace as well and let the other world come to the forefront–the cartography of the soul is where you take us…each in our own way…rather than your way…which is generous indeed of you.”
—Shelley Berc, writer, teacher
Frank Moore for President 2008:
“The Predisposition for ‘Seem to have a compulsion not to take no for an answer under any circumstances’ is why this candidate can revolutionize politics as he has revolutionized accessibility for all human beings. (And I thought I was going to have to write in ‘Angela Davis’ again!)”
—Lisbeth West, duckdaotsu media arts